Photos of Bill Cosby, Barack Obama, Donnie Simpson and Chuck Brown have adorned the walls of Ben’s Chili Bowl, but soon their faces will also be in full display outside the Washington landmark.
A new mural celebrating these four famous patrons of the Chili Bowl is currently being painted along the side of the restaurant on Ben Ali Way, the alley named after the diner’s founder.
Aniekan Udofia and his apprentices are the artists behind this project. According to Murals DC, a city-wide initiative that aims to combat illegal tagging graffiti, Udofia started outlining the mural late Wednesday night. This afternoon, the faces nearest to U Street — Obama and Cosby (the two customers who can eat for free at the Chili Bowl) — look to be complete. The website also says that Udofia hopes to be finished by next Tuesday, August 28.